FRANCIS HAMILTON (ONCE BUCHANAN). xvii 
exhaust the botanical interests of the valley of Nepal he began to realise that the life 
at Khatmandu was tiresome and once again expressed a wish to be back in Bengal. 
Thus, on 18th December 1802, he says:— 
“I would write you news occasionally were it proper in a person attached to a political expe- 
dition. I am heartily tired of my situation, but hear nothing of my removal” 
Roxburgh evidently recognised that this was natural and that Buchanan's 
talents would be more usefully employed elsewhere. We accordingly find that once 
more he had interested himself on Buchanan’s behalf, for in a letter, dated 22nd 
February 1803, Buchanan says :— 
“Т received yesterday yours of the Sth of February. I am much obliged to you for having 
mentioned my wish to return to М, Malcolm. I wonder it had not been done before from another 
quarter. The people with you are so dilatory that I suspect the season will be past before my recall 
comes. However, there is no occasion to troulle his Lordship further on the subject.” 
The news of his wished for recall reached him on 186 March but before his 
successor could reach Khatmandu the whole mission was recalled. It left Khatmandu 
on lth March and reached Segouli on 28th March 1803. Here Buchanan was 
relieved and pushed on to Patna, where he arrived on April 4th. 
On his return to Calcutta Buchanan took up his old appointment at Baruipur, in 
the 24-Pergunnahs, as we learn from letters dated from that place in August. One of 
these, dated 16th August 1803, is so interesting in many ways that it is here given 
in full:— 
“Т have been so busy for some time past that I have not stirred one day from home since 
I left Calcutta a few days after I saw you last. І think my hurry will be over in a few 
months and among the first visits I pay [one] will certainly be at the Botanic Garden. Тһе 
Buchanania growing in the Sundurbuns with a dichotomous panicle is called Amor by the natives. 
The fruit ін three-lobed, three-celled and of a coriaceous substance not opening or dividing into 
valves. Each cell has a large seed covered by a kind of aril much resembling mace. If the plant which 
has been sent to you as the Pursar is a Buchanania there has been а mistake, for the “Ритваг 
is of two kinds—the one the Carapa moluccensis of Lamark and the other a new species! Wi'denow 
calls Lamark's species the Xylocarpus Granatum, which is a stupid name I have got а half of the 
Encyclopedie Methodique which is a noble work—by far the most satisfactory thing I have ever seen 
except Jussieu’s Genera.” 
The Marquis of Wellesley, then Governor-General, had formed a menagerie at 
Barrackpur, for the purpose of bringing together examples of as many species of 
animals as possible, as part of his comprehensive scheme for investigating the natural 
history of India. During the cold weather of 1803-04, Lord Wellesley attached 
Buchanan to his staff as Surgeon to the Governor-General, and confided the manage- 
ment of this menagerie to his care. Buchanan's time was therefore now mainly 
devoted to zoological studies and was largely spent in identifying and making draw- 
ings and descriptions of the animals in the Barrackpur collection. 
None of the resulis of his observations during the two years thus employed 
appear to have been published, but at least copies of some, if not all, of his descriptions 
the Sundribuns is а fact which the writer has found botanists 
1 That there are two very distinct Carapas in 
is interesting to know that 8 century ago . 
who have not visited the region, for some reason, unwilling to admit. It 
Buchanan was perfectly well aware ot their existence. 
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